Closing mechanism for mine doors



Oct. 1, 1929.

A. J. GURNEY CLOSING MECHANISM FOR MINE DOORS Original Filed May 13, 1925 A. J. Gurzzeg.

p @l attoznaq J Patented Oct. 1, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT J. GURNEY, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MINE DOOR 00., OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO CLOSING- MEOHANISM FOR MINE DOORS Original application filed May 13, 1925, Serial No. 30,078.

Serial No. 162,389.

This invention relates to an improved door closing mechanism for mine doors, being a division of my co-pending application filed May 13, 1925, Serial No. 30,078.

The invention seeks, among other objects, to

provide a mechanism embodying a lever operable for closing the door wings and wherein a torsion spring will be associated with said lever in a manner to actuate the lever while,

also, the lever will provide a means for swinging the wings to open position.

The invention seeks, as a further object, to providean improved mounting for the tor- SlOIl spring.

And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide a mechanism wherein the tension of the spring may be readily adjusted.

Other objects of the invention not specifically mentioned in the foregoing will appear during the course of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation showing the present mechanism in connection with the mine door illustrated in my parent application, and Figure 2 is a detail elevation particularly showing the mounting of the torsion spring employed.

In the drawings I have shown the present mechanism in connection with the mine door illustrated in my parent application. Briefly stated, the door includes a frame comprising a sill 10, side posts 11 and a cap 12 rigidly secured together. Bolted to the door frame in the angles at the lower corners thereof are bottom bearing plates 13, and bolted to the frame in the angles at the upper corners thereof are top bearing plates 14. Journaled upon said plates are mating door wings 15 over lapping at their outer vertical margins. Rigidly connected to the wings are lever arms 16 projecting at opposite sides of the door, and fitting opposite corresponding corners of the posts 11 of the door frame, at the lower ends of said posts, are angle-shaped brackets 17 fixed to said posts. Projecting from the brackets are spaced arms 18, and swingingly mounted upon the brackets are levers 19 provided medially with hubs 20 which are freely received between the arms 18 of the brackets.

Divided and this application filed January 20,

Extending through said arms and through the hubs are pivot pins 21. Connecting the inner ends of the levers 19 with the free ends of the arms 16 are links 22, and connected to the outer ends of said levers are rods 23 operable for swinging the levers and opening or closing the door wings, the wings being coupled to swing simultaneously in opposite directions.

In accordance with the present improvements, I form upon the outer end of each of the levers 19 an upstanding arm 24 which is directed laterally over the upper end of the hub 20 of the lever, and fixed to said arm is an upstanding centering stud or post 25 axially alined with the hub. Fixed to the adjacent post 11 of the door frame above the bracket 17 is a bracket plate 26, and projecting from said plate is a pair of arms 27. Journaled between said pair of arms is a ratchet 28 grooved to accommodate said arms, and extending between the free ends of the arms is a bolt 29 retaining the ratchet. Formed on the lower end of the ratchet is a stud 3O axially alined with the stud 25, and formed on the ratchet at the base of the stud 30 is a laterally directed boss 31. Fitting at its ends over the studs 25 and 30 is a spring 32, the lower end of which is engaged with the arm 24 while the upper end of said spring is engaged with the boss 31. Pivoted upon the plate 26 to coact with the ratchet 28 is a pawl 33 for locking the ratchet against retrograde movement, and formed in the upper end portion of the ratchet are circumferentially spaced openings 34 to selectively receive'a pin, as suggested in dotted lines at 35. Thus, the ratchet may be conveniently turned for adjustably tensioning the spring 32 so that the springs of the two door wings 15 will accordingly function to urge the wings to closed position. As will be seen, the studs 25 and 30 engage the ends of the springs only, while the intermediate portions of the springs are free. Friction is thus reduced to a minimum.

Having thus described the invention, what- I claim is:

1. In a mine door, a swingingly mounted door wing, a lever connected with said wing and provided at one side of the pivotal axis thereof with an arm extending over said axis, a bracket spaced vertically above said arm and having spaced arms, a ratchet rotatably fitting between the arms of said bracket and grooi ed to accommodate the arms, means extending between the arms limiting the ratchet against displacement at the free ends of the arms, the ratchet being provided at its upper face with ratchet teeth, a pawl carried by the bracket to coact with said teeth, alined studs extending from said ratchet and the first-mentioned arm, and a coiled spring extending vertically between the ratchet and said arm and having its ends coiled about said studs, said spring acting on the arm for urging the door wlng to closed position, the ratchet when rotated in one direction tensioning said spring.

2. In a mine door, a swingingly mounted door wing, a lever connected with said wing, an arm extending upwardly from said lever at one side of the pivoted axis of the wing and having its upper portion extending horizontally over said axis, a bracket mounted in vertically spaced relation to said arm and having transversely spaced arms, a ratchet fitting between the arms of said bracket and formed with a circumferential groove to accommodate the arms and rotatably mount the ratchet, a bolt extending between the arms adjacent their free ends and limiting the ratchet against displacement at the free ends of the arms, teeth upon the upper face of the ratchet in an annular path, a pawl pivoted to said bracket and extending clownwardly therefrom to engage the teeth and retain the ratchet in a set position, studs extending towards each other from the ratchet and horizontal upper end portion of the firstmentioned arm in axial alinement with each other and the axis of the door wing, and a spring extending between the ratchet and said arm with its end portions coiled about the studs and acting upon the arm for urging the door wing to a closed position, the ratchet when rotated in one direction serving to tension'said spring and the pawl serving to prevent retrograde rotation of the ratchet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALBERT J. GURNEY. 

